Functional imaging studies in cannabis users.

Cannabis remains the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. This update examines the available literature on neuroimaging studies of the brains of cannabis users. The majority of studies examining the acute effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) administration used PET methods and concluded that administration of THC leads to increased activation in frontal and paralimbic regions and the cerebellum. These increases in activation are broadly consistent with the behavioral effects of the drug. Although there is only equivocal evidence that chronic cannabis use might result in structural brain changes, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent-fMRI studies in chronic users consistently show alterations, or neuroadaptation, in the activation of brain networks responsible for higher cognitive functions. It is not yet certain whether these changes are reversible with abstinence. Given the high prevalence of cannabis use among adolescents, studies are needed to evaluate whether cannabis use might affect the developing brain. Considerable further work, employing longitudinal designs, is also required to determine whether cannabis use causes permanent functional alterations in the brains of adults.     

Pathologic findings after recession and resection of extraocular muscles in rabbits

A study on the pathologic findings after recession and resection of extraocular muscles in rabbits was performed. Fibrosis of the extraocular muscles increased with time, which showed no difference between the recessed and resected muscles. Inflammation and foreign body reaction decreased with time, which showed no difference between the recessed and resected muscles. Adhesions of extraocular muscles to the sclera were observed from one month after the operation. The resected muscles showed milder adhesion to the sclera than the recessed ones. The operated extraocular muscles showed atrophies at one month, which showed no difference between the recessed and resected muscles. According to our results, when reoperation is needed, fibrosis of the extraocular muscles after recession and resection should be considered when making a decision on the amount of muscle to be recessed and resected.     

Mesenteric and omental cysts: An ultrasonographic and clinical study of 15 patients

The clinical and ultrasonographic (US) features of 15 cases of mesenteric or omental cyst are herein described. This series included seven male and eight female patients, whose age ranged from 2–89 years. Correct clinical diagnosis was made in two children only, but preoperative US examination accurately demonstrated the lesion in 11 of 13 patients (85%). These cystic lesions usually had a thin wall, internal septations, and fluid content with sedimentation. Enteric duplication cysts had a relatively thick wall merging with the muscle layer of bowel loop, and multiloculation was noted mainly with cystic lymphangiomas or pseudocysts. The diagnostic and surgical management of these lesions are briefly reviewed and their US appearance is illustrated.     

Dose reduction for the management of indinavir-related toxicity in human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected patients in Taiwan: clinical and pharmacokinetic assessment.

This study evaluated the feasibility of reducing the indinavir (IDV) dosage in Taiwanese patients receiving the standard IDV/ritonavir (RTV) dosage of 800/100 mg twice a day who had undetectable plasma human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA but had developed IDV-related toxicities. After dosage reduction to IDV/RTV 600/100 mg twice a day, the dose-related toxicity decreased and plasma HIV RNA remained undetectable at 24 weeks post-switch in all patients. The maximal plasma concentration (Cmax) and area under the plasma concentration-time curve of IDV decreased significantly (median, 6.3 vs 4.3 microg/mL and 1892 vs 1292 microg.min/mL, p=0.01 and 0.001, respectively) but the minimal plasma concentration remained at a similar level (median, 1.0 vs 0.8 microg/mL, p=0.12). This study found that the reduction in the dosage of IDV in HIV-1 infected patients receiving the standard IDV/RTV regimen guided by therapeutic drug monitoring decreased the Cmax, dose-related toxicity and medical cost without compromising viral control.     

照射后大鼠外周血红细胞扫描电镜观察

本文用扫描电镜观察了6.25Gy全身照射后大鼠外周血红细胞表面形态的变化。于照前和照后l、3、7、14和30天取材,在2000倍率下各观察200个细胞,并算出正常和异形细胞的百分数。正常红细胞的形态是光滑的、双面凹的圆盘形,其直径3.3～5.2μ,照射前正常红细胞占总数98.15%(96.0～99.0%),异形红细胞很少。其中包括单嵴样红细胞,隆突形红细胞、球口形红细胞以及棘状红细胞等。照后1和3天,异形红细胞数明显增多,正常形态红细胞的百分数从照前的88.15分别降到96.55和93.45(P<0.05和P<0.001)。照后7天,正常形态红细胞的百分数又接近照前水平。     

Development of a risk-adjusted capitation model based on principal inpatient diagnoses in Taiwan.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) program has considered the use of capitation payments to health care providers as a method for control of the rising costs of the system. The establishment of capitation payments usually requires the performance of risk adjustment. The purposes of this study were to develop a diagnosis-based risk adjustment model for the NHI and to evaluate its predictability. METHODS: Using a 2% random sample of 371,620 NHI enrollees, the authors developed a Taiwan version of the Principal Inpatient Diagnosis Cost Groups (TPIPDCGs) from 1996 claim records to predict an individual's expenditure in 1997. Weighted least squares regression models were built in an estimation sample (two-thirds of the study sample), and were cross-validated in a validation sample (the remaining one-third of the study sample). Predictive R2 and predictive ratios were used to evaluate the model's predictability. RESULTS: Only 7.88% of the study sample could be classified into 1 of the 16 TPIPDCGs. Combined with demographic variables, which alone could explain 3.7% of the variation in an individual's future expenditure, the risk adjustment model based on TPIPDCGs could explain 12.2% of expenditure variation. In addition, the finding that the predictive ratios of the TPIPDCG model approximated unity better than those of the demographic model in all subgroups indicates that the capitation payment as predicted by the TPIPDCG model for each subgroup would better correlate to the actual spending. CONCLUSION: Taiwan's risk-adjusted capitation model based on principal inpatient diagnoses has higher predictability on individual's future expenditure than its counterpart in the USA. This finding provides insight into not only the development of Taiwan's diagnosis-based risk adjustment models but also the necessity of modification when applying foreign-developed risk adjustment models to the NHI.     

Enhancing laboratory report contents to improve outpatient management of test results

In today''s environment, providers are extremely time-constrained. Assembling relevant contextual data to make decisions on laboratory results can take a significant amount of time from the day. The Regenstrief Institute has created a system which leverages data within Indiana Health Information Exchange''s (IHIE''s) repository, the Indiana Network for Patient Care (INPC), to provide well-organized and contextual information on returning laboratory results to outpatient providers. The system described here uses data extracted from INPC to add historical test results, medication-dispensing events, visit information, and clinical reminders to traditional laboratory result reports. These “Enhanced Laboratory Reports” (ELRs) are seamlessly delivered to outpatient practices connected through IHIE via the DOCS4DOCS clinical messaging service. All practices, including those without electronic medical record systems, can receive ELRs. In this paper, the design and implementation issues in creating this system are discussed, and generally favorable preliminary results of attitudes by providers towards ELRs are reported.     

临床感染病原菌的变迁及其与抗菌药物应用的关系

目的:分析医院病原菌的结构和耐药的变迁趋势,探讨病原菌的变迁与临床抗菌药物使用的关系。方法:对解放军总医院第一附属医院1995年以来11年临床标本病原菌的分离鉴定结果进行统计分析,结合同期临床抗菌药物的使用强度,分析病原菌变迁与抗菌药物使用的相关性。结果:11年间从临床标本中共分离出病原菌15914株。①G 菌中金黄色葡萄球菌(金葡菌)和耐甲氧西林金葡菌(MRSA)的构成比上升趋势明显,凝固酶阴性葡萄球菌(CNS)和肠球菌属的构成比波动幅度较大,但变化趋势不明显。G-菌中,铜绿假单胞菌的构成比虽有波动,但始终维持在高水平;大肠杆菌和变形杆菌的构成比明显下降,不动杆菌的构成比明显上升。②1995年构成比最高的3种病原菌依次为大肠杆菌、铜绿假单胞菌和金葡菌,2005年变为铜绿假单胞菌、金葡菌和不动杆菌。③我院抗菌药物的使用强度在2005年达70DDD/100人天,使用最多的药物种类为喹诺酮类、二代头孢菌素和含酶抑制剂的三代头孢菌素;单一品种药物为左氧氟沙星、头孢呋辛和阿奇霉素。④大环内酯类、糖肽类、碳青霉烯类和3代头孢/抑制剂等药物的使用强度变化与多种病原菌构成比的变化呈显著正相关,MR-SA构成比的变化与多种药物使用强度变化呈显著正相关。结论:常见病原菌的耐药水平逐渐升高,将会增大抗感染治疗的难度;抗菌药物使用强度的变化有可能导致病原菌结构和耐药水平的变化。